This is a hard one. Everything seems to be the
reverse of popular view.

The great religious leaders
and philosophers tell us to divest ourselves of pride, and put on
humility.

Jesus said that he was meek,
and the meek shall inherit the earth.

And the Psalms tell us again
that the meek shall inherit the earth, and Proverbs make it clear that
a man's pride will bring him low and cause him destruction.

Humility, by definition is
to have low self-esteem, to be in a low political or social class.
Self-esteem on the other hand means to be proud, self-confident, even
conceited.

Who wants to set a goal for
them self, and spend their life striving for the bottom of the pack? To
be the one everyone uses as a footstool?

Can you imagine a mother
sending her son off to school with these instructions: "Remember now,
Johnny, I want you to be humble today and let everyone walk all over
you without saying a word. And one day, when you are grown, you will
have a fine future living on the streets and picking up cans and
bottles for your livelihood."

I don't think so. I think
rather that her instructions would be more like: "Johnny, remember,
don't take guff from anyone. Stand tall and proud, work hard to be the
top of your class so that someday you can be a doctor or judge, maybe
even President. Make your father and me proud."

Or, how about a commercial
that says: "We guarantee that by using our product you will lose all
self-esteem and feel poorly about yourself."

Again, I don't think so.

So, what are we to do? Do we
struggle to make these few years on this earth all we can for
ourselves? After all, it's the only thing in our field of sight that we
have for sure. And even that is only provided to us day by day.

Or do we ignore all advice
given by those around us, cast ourselves down, and work for a future
life, whether that be a better next life, or a place in Eternity.

If we choose the former,
that is a life of Pride, we are guaranteed nothing, but the possibility
of a successful life in the eyes of ourselves and others. Happiness is
not part of that guarantee, nor is contentment. In fact, since the
lives of those who achieve any degree of success on the road to pride
is open by the media for all to view, it seems quite apparent that the
road is froth with personal failure and misery.

On the other hand, by all
appearances, the Humble road is lonesome and miserable, a sad account
of a misspent life.

But talk to those who live
the humble life; the Mother Teresa's, the Peace Corp volunteers, the
Missionaries in poverty-stricken areas. Read about the lives of the
Apostles, the early Christian leaders, and religious leaders in other
Faiths. Ask the vagabond on the road who travels from place to place
with all his possessions on his back if he's happy, if he would trade
places with the rich and successful. Many will tell you that they have
already been there, and won't go back. Now I'm not referring to those
on Skid Row, or holding cardboard signs on street corners, but the
travelers. Although, even those with the signs are less likely to give
up that life if given the choice. It's very often the life they have
chosen for one reason or another.

Decisions, decisions. Life
is full of little decisions, but there is none so small, yet so large
as this one. It is small if we go with the flow and do what everyone
tells us to do, but it's among the largest if we decide to choose what
the Ancients tell us to do, that is, ignore this life and strive for
the next.